Since 2019, students in their first-year of Bachelor’s studies have been obliged to pass the CJV_DIAL Language Test Dialang (for more information, see the course catalogue in theIS). Its purpose is to quickly and objectively assess your knowledge of English. Based on the results of the test, you will be able to decide which course is most appropriate for your level and will help you prepare for compulsory examinations (B1 level in the Bachelor’s studies and B2 in the Master’s studies). If your results show that your level is lower than the level required for the examination, we recommend you to enrol in the corresponding preparatory course. If you reached the required level or higher, you are welcome to attend the language courses to learn specialised vocabulary and develop your academic skills.

Detailed information on the examination can be found in the syllabus of course JA001 in the Information System of Masaryk University.

STRUCTURE OF THE EXAMINATION (valid from the academic year 2015-16)

A) WRITTEN PART

• Listening comprehension
• Reading comprehension (the ability to understand main ideas, important details and logical connections of a text)
• Grammar and lexicon (vocabulary of different fields, academic English vocabulary, coherence, sentence transformation, word formation and word classes, connectives, question formation...)
• Writing (short written assignment according to the instructions, e.g. e-mail)

B) ORAL PART

1. Define two terms from your field of study and support them with relevant examples.
2. Present a (controversial) problem related to your field of study.
3. Describe and explain a process/notion/experiment within your field of study.
4. Compare and contrast phenomena from your field of study.
5. Classify systems in your field of study.
6. Describe a cause and effect relationship from your field of study.
7. Speculate on an issue from your field of study.

Grammar for examination JA001

1. Question formation
2. Conjunctions, connectives
3. Tenses
4. The passive
5. Conditionals (first and second conditional)
6. Subordinate clauses (time, attributive, purpose)
7. Relative pronouns
8. Modal verbs and their substitutes
9. Verb patterns (-ing, infinitive)
10. Prepositions
11. Parts of speech and word formation

This is an examination in specialised language aimed at verifying the student’s ability to work with a professional text and present a professional topic. Students of Bachelor’s degree programmes may register for the exam without having passed the JA001 examination.

Detailed information on the examination can be found in the syllabus of course JA002 in the Information System of Masaryk University.

STRUCTURE OF THE EXAMINATION (valid from the academic year 2015-16)

A) WRITTEN PART

• Listening comprehension
• Reading comprehension (the ability to understand details in the text, to find synonyms for descriptive expressions, the main idea and details)
• Grammar and lexicon (vocabulary of different fields, academic vocabulary, coherence, paraphrases, connectives, question formation)
• Writing an abstract of presentation for oral examination

B) ORAL PART

Presentation related to the field of study + follow-up discussion

Grammar for examination JA002

1. Deepening the knowledge of grammar from course JA001
2. Nouns – plural of words of Latin and Greek origin (e.g. nucleus - nuclei, radius - radii, analysis - analyses, hypothesis - hypotheses, axis - axes, etc.)
3. Word formation– using prefixes and suffixes (e.g. malnutrition, counterbalance, developed x developing, moisture - moisten, adhesion - adhere...)
4. Connective expressions (e.g. however, even though, although, while, whereas, despite, in spite of, on the contrary, due to, since, therefore, as...)
5. Collocations of verbs do, make, have, take, give (collocation = frequent combination of words, e.g. to make a suggestion, to take notes...)
6. Sequence of tenses
7. Modal verbs with perfect infinitive in active and passive voice, expressing certainty, (im)probability (he must have done, he may have done, he can’t have done..., it could have been caused by..., it might have formed...), recommendation (you should have done)
8. Conditionals – all types
9. Wish clauses (I wish you were here)
10. Subject with infinitive (He is said to be clever. English grammar appears to be the only trouble. It is supposed to be very demanding.) Subject with perfect infinitive (Grammar is likely to have caused the failure. The lakes are supposed to have formed...)
11. Object with infinitive (I want you to help me. I do not find it easy to get up early.)

Written part

• Listening comprehension
• Grammar and lexicon (verb conjugation, passive and active voice, word formation and parts of speech, connectives, indirect speech, general science vocabulary)
• Reading comprehension (the ability to understand main ideas, important details and logical connections of a text)
• Writing (short written assignment according to the instructions, e.g. e-mail)

Oral part

• Presentation – topic of the student’s own choice (using presentation equipment, 6–7 minutes long)
• Conversation on specialised topics – information about the university, field of study, Bachelor’s thesis/seminar paper

Written part

• Listening comprehension
• Grammar and lexicon (verb tenses and grammatical moods, sentence transformation: passive voice, indirect speech in past tenses, sequence of tenses), word formation and parts of speech, expression of logical connections in sentences, vocabulary of different fields, academic French vocabulary)
• Reading comprehension (the ability to understand main ideas, important details and logical connections of a text)
• Writing (short written assignment in form of an e-mail according to the instructions: e.g. an application for scholarship, information on doctoral studies, a cover letter for conference paper submission...)

Oral part

• Presentation – topic of the student’s own choice (using presentation equipment, 6–7 minutes long)
• Conversation on specialised topics – information about the university, field of study, Bachelor’s thesis/seminar paper/conference paper

Written part

• grammar – test: professional style (passive voice, participle, compound and complex sentences, prepositions); general science vocabulary;
• correspondence (request for information, request for a book, meeting date proposal, acknowledgement for sent materials, invitation to a conference).
• work with a professional text – intermediate text (using a dictionary): selecting synonyms from proposed terms; listing keywords; determining whether a statement corresponds with the text; brief Czech summary – main ideas

Oral part

• practical conversation – topics related to traveling (hotel, restaurant, post office, asking for directions or information), introducing oneself
• conversation on specialised topics – detailed information about the field of study and the university; basic information on Bachelor’s thesis/seminar paper/professional presentation

Written part

• grammar – test: professional style (compound sentences, literary conjunctions, genitive prepositions, derivation, internationalisms, subjunctives, plusquamperfect, noun and verb preposition combinations);
• correspondence: application for scholarship, cover letter
• work with a professional text – using a dictionary; answering questions; determining whether a statement corresponds with the text; Czech summary

Oral part

• Presentation of a topic within the field of study – based on the student’s own choice, using illustrative examples and presentation equipment (5 to 10 minutes long).

Written part

• listening: general topic
• grammar: general grammar, professional style (the verb “to be”, passive voice, sentences, expressing necessity, prepositions, verbal adjectives and verbal adjective phrases); general science vocabulary
• vocabulary: according to the study field
• reading: understanding a text, synonyms
• writing: request for information, meeting date proposal, acknowledgement for sent materials, invitation to a conference, etc.

Oral part

• practical conversation – topics related to traveling (hotel, restaurant, post office, asking for directions or information), introducing oneself
• professional conversation – information on the field of study and the university
• Presentation of a topic within the field of study – based on the student’s own choice (using illustrative examples and presentation equipment (4 to 7 minutes long)).

Written part

• listening: general topic
• grammar: professional style (literary conjunctions and prepositions; transgressives; derivation; internationalisms – differences in grammatical gender; interposition; parentheses; verbo-nominal constructions; prepositions with verbs and nouns; Russian-Czech homonyms)
• vocabulary: according to the study field
• reading: understanding a text, synonyms, multiple-choice questions A/B/C/D
• writing: application for scholarship, cover letter, etc.

Oral part

• practical conversation – topics related to traveling, introducing oneself
• conversation on specialised topics – information about the field of study and the university; basic information on Bachelor’s thesis/seminar paper/professional presentation
• presentation of a topic within the field of study – based on the student’s own choice, using illustrative examples and presentation equipment (7 to 10 minutes long).

Written part

• listening comprehension: general topic
• vocabulary: according to the field of study
• reading: understanding a text (the ability to understand main ideas of a text, important details and logical connections, etc.)
• writing: short written assignment, e.g. an e-mail (request for information, meeting date proposal, acknowledgement for sent materials, etc.)

Oral part

• practical conversation – topics related to traveling (asking for directions or information, in a restaurant, in a hotel), introducing oneself
• professional conversation – information on the field of study and the university
• presentation of a topic within the field of study – based on the student’s own choice (using illustrative examples and presentation equipment (6 to 7 minutes long))

Written part

• listening comprehension: general topic
• vocabulary: according to the field of study
• reading: understanding a text, synonyms, multiple-choice questions A/B/C/D, open-ended questions
• written: an abstract (120–150 words), an argumentative text (250–270 words)

Oral part

• practical conversation – topics related to traveling, introducing oneself
• conversation on specialised topics – information about the field of study and the university; basic information on Bachelor’s thesis/seminar paper/professional presentation
• presentation of a topic within the field of study – based on the student’s own choice, using illustrative examples and presentation equipment (10 to 10 minutes long) + follow-up discussion